Chapter Two


Yugi dragged himself out of the screen room.

It was only six o'clock but, the last twelve hours had, had him hauling butt around the entire building, putting out fires and trying to keep the duelists from killing each other between rounds. The tournament was one of Industrial Illusion's biggest of the year, hosting a hundred duelists before whittling them down to one champion over three days. The entire thing was televised and aired live on the company's sponsored gaming channel, arousing a whole new series of headaches as Yugi tried to synchronize duels, interviews, and commercial breaks with all of Japan glued to their screens.

Yugi rubbed his neck, trying to massage the stiff muscles as he walked down the hall. He had spent the last hour with his staff, going over the game plan for the next day and advising them to get some sleep, needless advice considering everyone could barely keep their eyes open. Yugi was already fantasizing about a long, hot shower, room service, and collapsing into bed when he remembered Yami's insistence on meeting him for drinks.

Yugi sighed, a deep exhale of air that held every whisper of his frustration. He just wanted to relax. Maybe Yami had forgotten about the whole thing. He was a celebrity after all. Surely he had better things to do than spend his Friday night with him? It wasn't like Yugi had his cell phone number and, Yami hadn't told him a time or a place so, it wasn't Yugi's fault if he couldn't get in touch with him to finalize their plans.

It took Yugi twenty minutes to get to his hotel and by the time he crossed the gilded lobby, his limbs were heavy with exhaustion. The hotel was hosting all of the event staff as well as the top ten ranked duelists of the competition. As long as Yugi didn't run into Yami on the way up to his room, he was home free. He pressed the button for his floor and slumped against the elevator wall, watching the numbers click up as he ran through his list of to-dos for the next day. The doors parted after a few seconds, and Yugi stepped out onto his floor, rounding the corner to his room, already imagining curling under the covers. He wanted to cry as he spotted the visitor leaning against his door.

"Atemu-san," Yugi said. He closed the distance between them, stopping in front of the older boy, forcing a smile. "I figured you'd forgotten about me."

Crimson eyes found his, and butterflies flooded Yugi's stomach. Yami must have coerced the front desk into giving him his room number. So close but, so far, Yugi thought, resigning himself to his fate. He wasn't getting away with skipping out on their deal no matter how tired he was.

"I'll have to change before we can go out," Yugi said, plucking at his wrinkled clothing.

"I assumed you would prefer to stay in," Yami said. He raised his arm, brandishing a bottle of wine. "So, I brought refreshments."

"Oh," Yugi said, words jumbling in his head as the older boy's eyes stayed on his. He dropped his gaze to the wine bottle, trying to form a coherent sentence. "That was - thoughtful of you."

They stood in silence for a moment.

Yugi fumbled for his room key. "I guess we should probably go in," he said. His hands shook as he tried to get the key in the slot. After the second try, the lock clicked open and, Yugi pressed inside.

Flipping on the lights, Yugi unbuttoned his jacket, hanging it on the hook as Yami passed him, stepping into the suite. It was one of the larger rooms in the hotel, complete with a meeting area and a private bedroom and bathroom. A long table stretched across part of the room, papers, files, and empty tea cups still scattered across the surface from the early team meeting they had, had before the tournament's opening.

"I apologize for the mess," Yugi said, watching the older boy as he walked to the windows stretching across the room, offering a view of the Okayama skyline. "My team was here this morning, and I didn't want the maid to disturb the filing system I have going."

Yami turned around, his eyebrow raised.

"I was kidding," Yugi said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm usually a bit more organized than this but, this tournament is a big one – lots of paperwork."

Yami continued to watch him, and Yugi rocked back on his heels.

"So," Yugi said, desperate to fill the silence with some sort of noise. "I have some cups here somewhere." Grateful to be able to turn away from the older boy's stare, he raided the minibar for some glasses only to come up with two teacups. He flopped down in an arm chair, holding up the cups for Yami's inspection.

Yami pulled a corkscrew out of his pocket. He took the cups from Yugi, their fingers brushing, before he filled them. Handing Yugi a cup, he settled back on the adjacent couch, spine ramrod straight as if he expected Yugi to get up and flee the room at any second.

Yugi took a sip of his wine. He was a lightweight when it came to alcohol but, he didn't mind a glass of wine every once in a while, especially when it was good quality, and whatever Yami had served him was definitely top of the line. Fingering the cup, he surveyed the man across from him. Yami's skin glowed with warm undertones of Middle Eastern descent, his frame long and lean, and eyes framed with thick lashes. It was no secret that the duelist champion had been born with good genes, earning him numerous magazine covers and billboards, and a hoard of fangirls that stalked his every step.

"Tell me about the man you are seeing," Yami said.

"Oh – well," Yugi said, staring down into his cup. Guess we are just jumping right in… "His name is Ryuji."

Yami was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"We met a few weeks ago. He's really great. We don't get to see each other that much since we both travel for work but, he's a good guy," Yugi said. He took a long pull on his drink, avoiding Yami's gaze and staring out the windows instead.

"Are you in love with him?"

Yugi choked. "Well, I'm not exactly sure," he said, coughing until he could manage a free breath.. "It's only been two months. But maybe eventually, I guess." He fiddled with his cup. "I could see being in love with him." He chanced a glance in Yami's direction and found the older boy's face had darkened. Apparently, that wasn't the answer he'd been looking for. Yugi promptly diverted the conversation. "What about you, Atemu-san – are you seeing anyone?"

"I will be soon, yes," Yami said. "I've recently discovered someone who has eluded me for quite some time."

"Really?" Yugi said. "Someone from your past?"

"No," Yami said, shaking his head. "He is new to my life but, we were destined to cross paths eventually."

"I didn't take you as a destiny kind of person," Yugi said. His head buzzed, limbs heavy beneath him, and he glanced down at his empty cup. He probably shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach. Yami held out his hand, and Yugi allowed him to fill it once more. One more wouldn't hurt – right?

"Why?" Yami asked him.

"Well," Yugi said, "I guess you've always seemed so logical to me. I've seen you duel a bunch of times, and your strategies are always so well executed – it's like you calculate every last move for every single possible scenario."

Yami's lips twitched. "I didn't know you were a fan."

Heat spread across Yugi's cheeks. "I didn't mean – you're just always on TV - that's all. It's impossible not to see you duel at some point if you live in Japan."

The older boy's smirk remained.

Yugi gulped down another swallow of wine, lifting his arm to rub the back of his neck. All the tension of the day had settled there, stiffening the muscles of his upper back so tight that even the wine hadn't helped loosen them. His thoughts drifted to the shower a few feet away. The hot water would do wonders.

"You're in pain," Yami said.

Glancing up, Yugi found the older boy watching him, his face creased in concern. Yugi dropped his arm. "Sorry – no, I'm fine!" he said. "My neck is just a little tight from today – nothing a good night's sleep won't cure."

"Come here," Yami said. He patted the space beside him on the sofa.

Yugi gave a fierce shake of his head, nearly spilling his wine down the front of himself. "Really, I'm fine!"

The look Yami gave him could have frozen the waters of hell. Yugi sighed, unfolding from his chair and depositing his cup on the coffee table. His head was spinning from the wine and as he reached the sofa, he flopped down as his legs crumpled beneath him. There was only a few inches between him and Yami, and he felt his heart begin to race as Yami met his eyes.

You're acting like a teenager! Yugi told himself. Be professional!

"Turn around," Yami said.

"What?"

"Turn around."

"I'm not – "

"Yugi."

Yugi sighed again, turning his back to the older boy. Why was he letting Yami bully him into doing everything he said? It wasn't like they were friends. Yugi didn't know anything about him other than he had been born in Egypt, was a gigantic pain in the behind, and pretty decent with a deck of cards. In fact, this entire situation was ridiculous and inappropriate. What had he been thinking letting Yami come into his room and open a bottle of –

A cringe worthy sigh escaped Yugi as Yami started to massage his shoulders. His entire body sagged as the older boy began to work the tension from under his skin, kneading the stiff muscles which fell pliant under his hands. Yugi's thoughts twisted into a giant pretzel, and he couldn't help the sharp intakes of breath coming from him as Yami's fingers continued like magic.

"This is – " Yugi said, biting down on his lip to keep himself from groaning as Yami's fingers dug further into his shoulders, " – totally inappropriate

"I feared you would snap in half with all of the tension that you are carrying," Yami said, his voice low as he leaned down to Yugi's ear. "What are you holding onto that is so troublesome?"

Yugi clenched his hands into fists as Yami hit a tight section, breath whooshing out of him as the knot loosened and an entire section of his back eased. "Well," Yugi said, trying to focus, "your stunt this morning shaved years off my life."

"I think this tension runs deeper than stress from the tournament," Yami said.

Yugi closed his eyes, trying to keep himself together as Yami's fingers drifted to his lower back, kneading the overworked band of muscle. "I don't know what you mean," Yugi said. Screw being a duelist, Yami could make millions as a masseuse - he'd reduced Yugi into a boneless puddle in less than five minutes.

"You're reluctant to trust me."

"I can't figure out what you're up to, mostly why you're interested in me," Yugi said, regretting the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Stupid wine.

Yami's fingers pressed on each side of Yugi's spine, the pressure relieving a ripple of tension that Yugi hadn't even realized had been there to begin with.

"I want you to trust me," Yami said.

"Why?" Yugi said, gulping down a breath as Yami worked another knot, his fingers playing between the dimples of his lower back. "What's the point of all of this?" Yugi forced himself to turn and, Yami's hands dropped to his lap as Yugi met his eyes. Facing him, Yugi felt his chest clench with embarrassment, some of the fog from the wine dissipating. Had he really just let Yami give him a back massage? He resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. So much for being professional. He'd practically been drooling.

Scooting back a few inches, Yugi took a breath, clearing his head. He needed to get Yami out of his room, get in the shower and go to bed. "Look, I have a really early start tomorrow," he said. "So, I think you should probably – "

"I would like to see you tomorrow."

"You will see me," Yugi said, "at the tournament."

"And, afterwards?"

Yugi sighed, unfolding from the sofa and feeling more coherent with his legs under him and Yami's hands in his lap, far away from Yugi. "Our deal was only for tonight."

"Let's make a new deal."

Crossing his arms, Yugi stared down at the older boy. "What kind of deal?"

"I won't cause any trouble for you for the rest of the tournament, if you agree to spend time with me for the next two nights."

"How about the rest of every tournament?"

"Fine," Yami agreed.

"And you just want to hang out as friends?"

Yami shrugged.

"No trouble at all?"

Yami nodded.

"No calling me to your room or refusing to go out to your duels?"

"You have my word."

Yugi bit his lip. Another deal was a bad idea but, if it kept Yami from causing chaos for the rest of the forever then it was worth it. Yugi could walk the line between professional and personal. He just had to make sure he didn't get caught up in making anymore dumb decisions – like getting tipsy and letting Yami give him a back massage. First things first, no more alcohol in the older boy's presence. Second, no looking into his eyes – making extended eye contact was not helping the butterflies that kept exploding in his stomach. Third, no divulging anything too personal – light and airy topics only.

"Fine," Yugi said. "It's a deal."

Yami smirked, the slightest draw on his lips. He rose from the couch, a head taller than Yugi as he stood in front of him. They were close, less than a foot between them, and Yugi forced himself to stare to the left of the older boy's head rather than meet his eyes again. He took a step back, rounding around the coffee table and leading Yami to the door.

Yami's footsteps were slow as he followed and, Yugi jerked open the door, holding it open.

"Good night, Atemu-san."

"Yami," the older boy corrected.

"Good night, Yami," Yugi gritted out.

The older boy made a point to brush his hand down Yugi's arm as he passed, and a jolt of electricity singed through Yugi's fingers, his stomach clenching. "Good night, Yugi," Yami said, fingers cupping Yugi's elbow, squeezing for a moment, before he disappeared down the hall.

Yugi locked and chained the door before pressing his back against the cool wood. He slid down to the floor, flopping down on his butt as rested his head back against the door. This was not going to end well.